The Big Loser

Onetime high-flying Internet entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, 33, walked out of jail in April looking quite a bit lighter. The founder of Internet-services company Livedoor reportedly lost 18 pounds during his 3 months behind bars, thanks to a diet of boiled barley and rice. His wallet is even lighter: His net worth, tied up in Live-door's now-delisted stock, is an estimated $280 million, down from its $1.3 billion peak in December.

It's been quite a roller coaster ride for Horie, who shot to prominence 2 years ago when he offered to take over one of Japan's major league baseball teams. He became the symbol of a new generation of brash, bold businessmen pushing for less government intervention, often appearing on national television. Last year he clashed with established business when he tried to buy part of media conglomerate Fuji Television Network. An ally of Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, Horie ran unsuccessfully for an assembly seat in September.

Four months later his house was raided, and soon after that he was thrown in jail. Kicked off Livedoor's board, he faces charges alongside 4 other Livedoor executives of hiding losses and misleading shareholders. Livedoor, whose stock crashed below $1, was delisted in April. Out on $2.7 million bail, Horie is keeping a low profile in his chic Tokyo apartment, awaiting his trial--expected later this year.